Bait tank



Patented Mar. 30, 1948 BAIT TANK Walter Hart Burruss, Astoria, Oreg., assignor to Columbia River Packers Association, Inc., As-

toria, Oreg.

Application May 21, 1945, Serial No. 594,920

. 6 Claims. i 1

This invention relates to live bait boxes such as are commonly used in connection with various methods of fishing. v

To keep the fish bait alive it is e'ssential that the water in the bait box or tank be kept free of air and foreign substances. It is also essential that the water be circulated completely in the tank, but the circulation should be maintained with very low Velocity to avoi'd injuring the bait.

The present invention is directed to an improved live bait box or tank vstructure in which the Velocity of the Water supplied to the tank or box is greatly reduced and free air and foreign particles removed in a most effective manner while the water is crculated in the bait compartment with a minimum of turbulence.

The objectv of the invention is to provide an improved bait box or tank with means for supplying water with a minimum amount of free air and foreign impurities and creating a complete circulation of the water in the bait compartment while maintaining the water in that compartment at a predetermined level.

Other objects will more particularly appear in the course of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a bait box embodying the present invention;

Figura 2 is a longitudinal Vertical cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse Vertical cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary Vertical cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate somewhat -diagrammatically a possible embodiment of the present invention, thel tank is constructed as a substantially rectangular box having a bottom l, end walls 2-2, a rear wall 3, a front wall 4 and atop 5.

A medial partition 5 exten'ds longitudinally of the box dividing the same generally into a bait compartment ll! occupying the rear porton of the main tank and water supply and exhaust compartments positioned in the front portion of.

the tank.

To provide such intake and exhaust compartments transverse v'ertical walls '8 and 9 are positioned between the medial wall 5 and .the front wall 4 and the top 6 is herein illustrated as extending forwardly between these transverse walls 8 and 9. l i

On the intake side of the tank herein illustrated, as on the right-hand side of Figure 2, slidable screen bafiles l2 are provided extending transversely of the tank and between the medial wall 5 and the front wall 4, each of these screens |2 having an imperforate portion |4. Slide runners |3 can be arr-anged in pairs .on the medial wall 5 and the front wall 4 between which the screens can slide vertically and be removed as desired for cleaning When necessary. These screen bafiles |2, it will be noted, divide the righthand compartment into three smaller compartments |5, |6 and ll and the water supply pipe |8 communicates through the end wall 2 into.

the outermost supply compartment Il.

A horizontal false bottom H connects the lefthand end wall 2 with the bottom edge of the intermediate partition 9, providing below said false bottom a chamber 28 extending from the lefthand end wall and communicating With the bottom of the innermost supply chamber 15. Above the false bottom Il is formed a compartment intermediate the medlal wall ian'dthe front wall 4 and extending from the intermediate wall 5 to the Outlet compartment 22 defined by the left-hand end wall and the intermediate wall 8. Similar guide cleats |3 are positioned on opposite sides of the outlet compartment 22 to provide guideways for a plurality of transverse partition slats 20 which can be arranged in desired numbers to establish the desired water level in the bait compartment. An Outlet pipe 2| communicates with the outer compartment formed by the baffles 20 in the outlet Chamber 22.

The medal wall 5 is provided with a screened window IO positioned intermediate the Walls 8 and 9 and above the false bottom H and is further provided with a screened window 25 positioned beneath the false bottom I and extending the full length of said false bottom and to the innermost of the screen baffles |2 in inlet compartment |5.

A hinged door 1 can be provided for the top 6 giving access to the bait compartment |9.

In operation, the water is supplied to the bait tank through the pipe |8 and upon entering the int-ake compartment H impinges on the imperforate bottom portion |4 of the outermost screen bafiie |2, thence rises and passes through the screened portion of that baflle into the medial compartment |6 where it again impingeson the forcedto rise and fiow overthe-uppermostofsaid:

baflles -and thence be drawn'off through the outlet pipe 2 I.

It will be apparent th'at the velocity ofthe Water entering through the pipe |8 is greatly reduced by reason of the screened compartments |5, 16 and l'l through; which it is forced to pass,. and still furthen-reduced in both Velocity and turbulence' through the great area of the screened window.` 2=5fthroughwhich it enters the bait compartment. Similarly, the exhaust water passi'ngf through the. large area of screened windowvl (i: is calcul'atedFt'o-L produca very little turbulencelor pressure* against that/screen'rthus minimizing the injuryiofthe live-:l :'ait`-.`

Various modifications willlreadily suggest themselves to those skill-ed?V in the art-and depending upon the conditions. undl'ei'r'which' the present invention is to be'used; but'all'within'the scope of the present invention as'claimed:

What I claim is-:

1.Live bait boxcomprisin'g` a bait compartment,y an auxiliary-'Waterfsupply compartment, screenedA passagev from the bottom 'level of the supply compartment tothe' bait compartment, an auxiliary water exhaust compartrnent, and a screened passage fromi'theupper level'of the bait compartment to the exhaust compartment, the scree-ned inlet passage to th'e-bait compartment being positioned immediately below the screened outlet passage fro'm-v the bait'co'mpartment;V

V2; Live bait; boxv'comprising a bait compartment, an aux'iliary' water'inletcompartmenh spaced' screened bafiles in theinl'et. compartment, a screened'passage communicating the bottom level of the inlet compartmentl With the: bottom The exhaust water withfi 4;; level of the 'bait compartment, an auxiliary outlet compartment, a plurality of superposed baflles in the outlet compartment to determine the wa-v i ter level throughout the device, a screened passage communicating the upper level of the bait compartment with' the upper level of the outlet compartment and inlet and discharge ports in the inlet-,and Outlet: compartmentsrespectively.

= 3. Live baittank comprisingfa-;bait compartment extending the length of the tank, inlet and outlet water compartments at each end of thetank with superposedtconduits extending from said inlet and outlet compartments and comvmunioating;with{-thezloait compartment, the condutzfromstheZ inlet compartment being positioned below thefl-zconduit from the outlet compartment. i o 4. ive bait' tank as specified in clam 3 with spacedscreen baffles in th'e inlet compartment.

5. Live bait tank asspecified in claim 3 in which the' baitv compartmentl hastsuperposed' screened windows communicating respectively with the inlet 'and outlet water-l eonduitsi said screenedlwindowsl extending the full length' of saidconduits; i

6; Live bait tank -asfspfeeifiedfinf,claim 3 in which? the= baitcompartmenh superposedV REFER-ENCE GI-T-ED'f The follow-ingmefrenees areof? recordv ihf the fileof this-patent:

UNITED srrzAfrffisi;iniTErnY-s` Number Name Datew 680,838 Bourgeois1 r A11`g1120,.190.l 2,1253962 Shoem'aker: Aug.-. 9;: 1938 FoREIGNPA'rENTs Number` Geuntry' Date 431304-11- 'GreatfBnitainn e- J une218; i 1935 

